Penn women’s soccer coach Darren Ambrose has no doubt in his mind what the most significant match of the season is.
“It’s Princeton,” he said. “[In] every sport the rivalry is storied. It is years and years of athletic pride.”
Tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Rhodes Field, the Quakers (9-4-2, 3-3-0 Ivy) will show off their athletic pride in their season finale against the Tigers.
Beyond the rivalry, the game has particular importance since a victory will give Penn a winning Ivy record for the season. In addition, if Penn wins and Columbia loses or ties, the Red and Blue will finish third.
The Penn-Princeton rivalry will occur on an individual level between senior forward Jessica Fuccello and Princeton’s goalkeeper Alyssa Pont.
Pont, the League’s top goaltender with a .840 save percentage, has notched six straight shutouts.
Trying to end that streak will be the Quakers’ star forward, Fuccello, who leads the Ivy League with sixteen goals. She is currently tied for the program record for most goals in one season.
However, Fuccello says she does not care much about the record.
“It would be nice to set a record, but I am more focused on winning,” she said, “especially after not being able to play [Saturday].”
Fuccello missed last Saturday’s game against Brown because of an ejection she earned in the previous game against Yale.
Adding to the rivalry is last year’s hard-fought overtime defeat at the hands of the Tigers, in which the Quakers dominated possession, but came away with a 2-1 loss in double overtime.
“We have some bitter memories and the kids are motivated,” Ambrose explained.
As for concerns about how well Princeton (7-6-3, 3-2-1) has been playing defensively, Ambrose added:
“They haven’t played us. When we do what we’re good at, when we play to our strengths, nobody has stopped us.”
Offensively, Penn plans on spreading the field and working hard to create chances, worrying about smart play first, and putting shots on the net second.
Defensively, the team will need to work together, rather than focusing on their individual marks.
“Team defense will be an over-arching theme,” senior defender Michelle Drugan said.
But in the end tomorrow comes down to heart.
“It doesn’t really end up being a game of soccer,” Fuccello said. “It is about who wants it more.”
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